Cherry Blossoms Before Winter

Nick Horden was the kind of man everyone in New York’s elite circles whispered about. He was rich, reckless, and a little unhinged. But for all his chaos, he only ever cared about one person: Lisa Winters, a girl with nothing to her name, the half-starved homeless girl he once pulled off the streets. From fifteen to twenty-five, he gave her everything. His love, his devotion, and every bit of tenderness a man like him was capable of. Then one day, another woman appeared. Nick said she was different. She had been through hell, fought her way back, and refused to break. And little by little, she took Lisa’s place…

“Imagine if both your wife and your lover fell into the water at the same time—who would you save first?” Upon remembering what her friend had said a few days ago, Myra felt her heart ache; it was so acute that it threatened to suffocate her. She stood stiffly in the banquet hall while the exquisite knee-length blue dress she wore was glued to her wet body, making her like a drowned rat. When the company employees in the hall saw her, they began to whisper and snicker among themselves. She did not have to eavesdrop to know what they said about her. “She’s trying to climb the corporate ladder by sleeping with the director…”

Before the world turned to ice, her family came knocking, ready to negotiate the terms of our marriage. They wanted more than commitment. They wanted three million dollars and three luxury homes. My parents shut them down immediately. It was ridiculous. Then, the storm hit. The blizzard sealed us inside the house. With numbers on their side and no mercy to spare, her family took control of everything. The food. The heat. Our chances. When we fought back, we lost. They dragged us outside and left us in the snow. We froze. Then, I opened my eyes. I was back to before it all began.

Clifford is a bright, athletic high school senior with a stubborn grin behind his reading glasses and a future in finance waiting on the other side of graduation. He’s popular enough to feel seen, yet in the shadow of a relationship that looks flawless but is anything but. Clair, his girlfriend, is the town’s sweetheart. Beautiful, charming, and suspiciously aloof about Clifford’s growing unease. His world tilts when he meets Tyler, the school’s enigmatic star player: tall, quick witted, and radiating danger and charm. Tyler’s circle knows his truth, even if he won’t broadcast it, and his gaze keeps finding Clifford across crowded halls and quiet classrooms. A party spins everything into questions when a game of spin the bottle sends a spark that neither can ignore. A kiss, sudden and charged, shatters Clifford’s certainty and ignites a dangerous longing he’s afraid to name. As rumours swirl and pressures, mount from grades, parents, and old loyalties. Clifford must decide what kind of man he wants to be. Is desire a betrayal of the life he’s planned, or the doorway to his truest self? With Leonard’s sci fi wisdom and Tara’s fearless energy on the sidelines, Clifford discovers that growing up isn’t about choosing one path, it’s about finding the courage to follow the right one, even when the future isn’t clear.

At the dinner table, my mother-in-law slid a contract across to me, right in front of more than 20 relatives. "Just sign it," she said lightly. "Consider it a favor to me." I looked down. A home mortgage agreement for 150,000 dollars. Across from me, my husband's younger brother, Jim Canfield, watched with a grin. Beside him, my husband's eldest sister, Cindy Canfield, urged impatiently, saying, "Shirley, what are you waiting for? Just sign it." I said I needed to go home and talk it over with Howard Canfield first. My mother-in-law's expression darkened. "What? You can't even make this decision for your own marriage?" That night, I did not sign anything. Later, she sent a three-minute voice message in the family group chat, accusing me of being childish, ungrateful, and heartless. More than 70 replies followed—not a single one in my defense. A month later, I came home from work to find three men waiting at my door, there to seize the house. I pulled out my phone and checked the property registry. The record was clear. [Mortgaged. 150,000 dollars.]

When Idrish is accused of killing an elven royalty, the female hunter is forced to join the winter arena in the king's favor. But as a commoner of Springgan, a country with a bloody history of slavery and hierarchy, can she protect the ones she loves...when she can barely protect herself? *** What happens when an elf is in possession of a power that's beyond one's social standing? Idrish Aeric is living at the bottom of Springgan's strict hierarchy, barely able to scrape a living for her younger siblings through hunting and foraging. Her simple life flips when she receives a legacy from a royal elf and she has to run to protect her family. In order to escape death, she's forced to enter the elven royal family through marriage and join the winter arena in the king's favor. But in a world ruled by power and slavery, is Idrish ready to step up her game to change the system--or will she wind up dead before the song of the winter solstice plays?

Inerie mengalami kebimbangan hati. Apakah hendak melanjutkan hubungan dengan Nick yang ditentang orang tuanya karena perbedaan keyakinan. Atau menerima lamaran Harry yang seiman.

When Elara accepts an invitation to spend the Winter Solstice at her best friend Lyra’s enchanted family manor, she expects laughter, magic, and warmth. What she doesn’t expect is Kaelen—the Alpha, Lyra’s father, and the man she should never desire. The manor is alive with shifting staircases, whispering portraits, and celebrations that sparkle like crystal. But beneath the joy lies danger: Elara’s heart beats faster whenever Kaelen is near, betraying her promises of loyalty. Forbidden attraction. A house of secrets. A holiday that could change everything. Will Elara resist temptation, or will the manor claim more than just her soul?

I made the decision to break up with Layla Freeman as I opened my eyes once more. She wanted to take Charles Jones and his son home so she could take care of them, so I would logically leave. I had a lot of arguments with Layla in my former life because of Charles and his son. She paid for Charles’ son’s wedding using the money I had saved for my retirement. Ultimately, the bitter cold killed me in the winter. When Layla found out about that, she was not filled with sadness. Rather, she accused me of dying on her godson’s wedding day. I would leave her and not have anything to do with her in this life.

My father bought twin brothers from the black market to serve as bodyguards for me and my sister. My sister chose the tall, strong older brother, leaving me with the frail, mute younger one. Feeling sorry for him, I kept him close, seeking doctors for his silence and maintaining distance to respect his apparent OCD. I thought trauma had shaped him that way. But when our father's enemies kidnapped us, he abandoned me without hesitation, choosing to die shielding my sister. In his final moments, he spoke for the first time. "You finally see me." To me, he said, "In the next life, please don't choose me." I realized then that he was neither mute nor afflicted with OCD. His silence and aversion were directed solely at me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we chose the bodyguards. This time, I'd grant his wish.